South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and the North's Kim Jong-il issued the declaration after a three-day historic summit in Pyongyang.

They called for international talks on a treaty to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The agreement came a day after the North agreed to end its nuclear plans.

Officials involved in separate, international talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme confirmed that Pyongyang had committed to a timetable to disable its nuclear facilities.

'Permanent peace'

Mr Roh and Mr Kim shook hands and drank a toast after they signed the eight-point declaration.

The agreement stated: "The South and North share the view that they should end the current armistice system and build up a permanent peace system."

It called for leaders of nations concerned to meet on the Korean Peninsula and agree an end to the 1950-1953 war.

Any such talks would probably involve the US and China which, along with North Korea, signed the armistice that ended the war.

South Korea did not sign and remains technically at war with the North.

The two sides also agreed to resume freight rail services across the heavily fortified border for the first time in more than five decades.

I was facing disenrollment from school, but I made it through. The appeal went well.

But now I have to try extra hard. It looks like no summer or winter break for me.

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